Pamela couldn't stop smiling as she tucked her braids behind her ear, hugging her pillow tighter.
"Someone's glowing," Lilly teased from across the room, flopping down on her bed with a mischievous grin.
Pamela tried to hide her face in the pillow, but her cheeks betrayed her. "Shut up, it's nothing."
"Nothing?" Lilly dragged out the word. "Pam, you've been smiling at your phone for the past hour. That's not nothing."
Pamela peeked out, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It's Jossy. He asked me to come for his birthday this weekend. He said it would mean a lot if I came."
Her roommate's eyes widened in fake surprise. "Wow… that's big."
Pamela laughed shyly. "Do you think… maybe he likes me? I mean, he's been so sweet lately. Always checking up on me, walking me back after class, buying me snacks. No guy just does that for no reason."
Lilly forced a smile, though her heart twisted. She already knew the truth. Jossy didn't like Pamela at least, not in that way. He had been sneaking glances at her, Lilly, for months. He made excuses to sit beside her in lectures, offered to help her with assignments, lingered around her after study group. He liked Lilly, not Pamela. But Pamela didn't know.
And Lilly wasn't ready to tell her. Not yet.
Instead, she put on her best supportive voice. "Of course, Pam. Why else would he invite you? Jossy's a catch. If he's into you, you're lucky."
Pamela squealed softly, burying her face again. "Oh my God. Don't make me nervous!"
But Lilly's smile didn't reach her eyes.
Across town, Jossy leaned back on the hood of his car while Ken scrolled lazily on his phone.
"You're playing with fire, man," Ken muttered without looking up.
Jossy smirked. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," Ken said flatly. "Pamela. You're stringing her along when everyone knows it's Lilly you really want."
Jossy's smirk faded. He hated how easily Ken could read him. "Pamela's… simple. Sweet. Easy to be around. Lilly's different."
Ken finally looked up, his brow raised. "Different, as in… the one you actually like?"
Jossy didn't answer, but his silence was loud enough.
Ken sighed, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Then why don't you just go for Lilly?"
Jossy ran a hand through his hair. "Because Pamela's already halfway in love with me. And honestly, it's… comfortable. Safe. With Lilly, I don't even know if she feels the same."
Ken leaned closer, his tone sharper. "But you know Pamela does. Don't you feel guilty?"
Jossy looked away, jaw tight. "Don't make me the bad guy, Ken. It's not that simple."
Ken's voice dropped, almost bitter. "It is. You just don't want to admit it."
Jossy didn't reply. His phone buzzed a message from Pamela, full of emojis and excitement about his upcoming birthday. He stared at it for a long time before typing back: Can't wait to see you too.
But even as he sent it, it wasn't Pamela's face in his mind. It was Lilly's.
The week blurred by. Pamela floated through it like she was walking on air. She replayed every little thing Jossy said to her, every laugh, every shared glance. To her, it felt like a romance blooming. To everyone else, it looked like a ticking clock.
On Thursday, Lilly cornered Jossy after class.
"You're making this messy," she whispered sharply, away from prying ears.
He raised a brow. "Messy? What are you talking about?"
"Pamela." Lilly folded her arms. "She's my best friend. If you don't like her that way, you need to stop leading her on."
Jossy smirked, stepping closer. "And if I told you I don't want her… I want you instead?"
Lilly's breath hitched. She had imagined those words countless times, but hearing them aloud made her chest tighten.
"You shouldn't say that," she whispered.
"Why not?" His gaze lingered on her lips. "You know it's true."
Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to step back. "Because she trusts us. She trusts both of us. And I won't be the one to break her."
Jossy's eyes darkened. "Maybe she needs to be broken to see the truth."
Lilly shook her head and walked away, though her hands trembled.
Saturday came faster than Pamela expected. She dressed in her prettiest outfit, heart racing as she rehearsed how she'd surprise Jossy for his birthday. She imagined the smile on his face, the way he'd hug her, maybe even kiss her.
When she arrived, Ken opened the door, eyebrows lifting. "Pamela. You didn't say you were coming."
She grinned nervously. "It's a surprise. For Jossy."
Ken hesitated, then stepped aside. "He's upstairs. Go ahead."
Pamela tiptoed into the living room, her gift clutched tightly. She climbed the stairs, heart fluttering with anticipation.
But when she reached the landing, she froze.
Voices.
Jossy's voice. Lilly's voice.
She pressed closer to the wall, pulse hammering.
"Why are you doing this to her?" Lilly hissed.
"Because I don't want her," Jossy snapped quietly. "I want you."
Pamela's breath caught.
Her fingers tightened painfully around the wrapped gift as the rest of his words sliced through the silence like knives.
"She's sweet, sure, but it's you I think about. It's always been you."
Pamela's world tilted.
Her knees weakened, her chest squeezed tight. She didn't hear the rest couldn't. All she could hear was the thundering of her heart, the shattering of something fragile inside her.
Her gift slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a dull thud.
The voices stopped.
A pause.
Then footsteps.
And before Pamela could move, the door creaked open.
Jossy stood there, eyes widening when he saw her. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
Behind him, Lilly's face paled.
Pamela's gaze flickered between them, tears brimming in her eyes.
"You…" Her voice broke. "Both of you…"
She stumbled back, shaking her head as the betrayal clawed deeper with every breath.
Jossy reached out. "Pamela, wait"
But she turned and bolted down the stairs, the sound of her footsteps echoing like a drumbeat of heartbreak.
Out the door. Into the night. Away from them both.
Pamela's chest burned as she ran, the world blurring through her tears. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to keep moving. Away from Jossy. Away from Lilly. Away from the lie she had been living.
But she had no idea that this betrayal was only the beginning. Something darker, something far more dangerous than heartbreak, was waiting for her in the shadows. Watching.